Ohhahh. I think there is some truth in this. I believe the regulations are that each shop is only allowed 4 machines. That may explain the close proximity of some groups of bookmakers to each other.
100% Correct. The biggest earner in bookies is FOBTs (Fixed Odds betting terminals) you get some high streets where there will be 2 bookies, of the exact same company, opposite each other, purely because of the income streams from FOBTs.
I wonder if the devolved powers that the government are looking to give to British cities will give local authorities real power to put a stop to this explosion of high street bookies. It's going to cause the nation huge problems if regulation doesn't take place.
Bloke stood behind me once and kept telling me what number was coming up, and he was right every time. He only knew when the wheel was spinning but wouldn't tell me how he worked it out. Anyone know?
These days, betting shops make most of their money from gaming machines called fixed-odd betting terminals (FOBTs). Taking a calculated risk you can afford to lose on a regulated sporting event is a world away from gaming on FOBTs, which can take £200 direct from your bank account on the mere spin of a wheel.
The fact that the industry is now dominated by FOBTs was brought home to me when Lambeth planners turned down an application for a betting shop in Waterloo that had attempted to double the number of FOBTs it was allowed by building a partition and claiming it was in fact two shops.
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The fact that the industry is now dominated by FOBTs was brought home to me when Lambeth planners turned down an application for a betting shop in Waterloo that had attempted to double the number of FOBTs it was allowed by building a partition and claiming it was in fact two shops.
http://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/jul/22/betting-shops-death-high-street